Detox, Cigarettes and you call that healthy?
I am a little behind on all of my celebrity news lately and keeping up with the current events on the news shows and internet, but I did hear a story last week that has stuck with me. I know it is old news, so if you are tired of hearing about it you won't hurt my feelings to move on along. I am talking about the recent talk about Gwenyth Paltrow's interview and confession about detox diets and smoking. So, if you are even more behind than I am on all of the entertainment news here it the gist of it. Gwenyth Paltrow, who has recently been the poster girl for all things health and diet, even penning her second cookbook, spoke recently about doing a Master Cleanse for 10 days that left her hallucinating. She has reportedly had a super healthy macrobiotic diet and works out for about 2 hours a day with her celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson. Hence, the thin physique in the photo above. The tabloids applaud her for having such a figure at the ripe old age of 40. Then, the bombshell. Gwenyth talks about enjoying having a cigarette on Saturday nights. I have to admit that admission surprised me and also turned me away.
There is so much hype and popularity right now on juicing, cleansing and detoxing. You can call them whatever you like, but they are basically the same. They are the replacement of real food with liquid "food" for an amount of time. Many of the popular cleanses or detox programs are for about three days and then allocate eating whole foods again. Folks do lose weight doing this for three days, but it is water weight only which will return when real food is eaten. Although, some say a three day cleanse or detox program is a good way to begin a diet program. Other research talks about how such severe limitation of food and calories slows the metabolism which is something we definitely do no want! I will confess to doing a detox liquid program for a day or two at the most. I tend to want to exercise while doing this, but since it is not reccomended I find that I don't feel at my healthiest and begin feeling light-headed, queasy and pretty grouchy attempting to limit to liquid calories for more than a couple of days. Therefore, I cannot imagine why Gwenyth would even think about keeping to such a stringent and limited amount of calories for 10 days. Of course she was hallucinating!! I'm sure I would imagine all sorts of things going on in my head that long without real food!! That just sounds rather silly and not at all healthy to me.
Then, to her comment about smoking. I am sorry but this one just really disappointed me. Don't get me wrong. I am all for everything in moderation. In fact, I have had a couple of glasses of wine tonight and love a cookie now and then. I will even have a french fry and other unhealthy fare, knowing they are treats and in moderation. However, I have seen firsthand the havoc that smoking does to one's body and health. For some, it is an addiction that just can't be beat. It completely destroys the lungs, leaving one wheezing, coughing and ultimately suffering from emphasyma or COPD. It also places extra stresses on the body that emphasizes other ailments and diseases the body suffers. It is a nasty addiction that also leaves one with physical representations such as wrinkles, aged skin, and aged teeth and nails.
I am admittedly prejudiced against smoking and have been since I was a little girl. My parents both smoked while I was growing up and I thought it was just the grossest thing. Still do. I know it's not right to judge, but I can't help it. My father kicked his habit, buy my mother never could do that. Her health suffers for it.
So, my issue with Gwenyth is the example she has chosen to represent. She has spoken of her healthy diet and workouts and regular work with her trainer. She has thousands of folks, and especially young women, following her every move in the magazines, movies and on her blog. These are people who follow her every move, read every word, eat what she says she eats, cook dishes in her cookbooks, want to be and look like her. I get her wanting to be "real" and honest in her interview. However, promoting smoking cigarettes, even if only on a weekly basis? I think this might have been a fact that would have been better kept secret. Or, better yet, a habit to kick.
So, what do you think? Is it a double standard to drink some wine but rag on Gwenyth for having a cig on Saturday night? Are you a lover of Gwenyth? What are your thoughts on the detox thing? Have you tried one?
There is so much hype and popularity right now on juicing, cleansing and detoxing. You can call them whatever you like, but they are basically the same. They are the replacement of real food with liquid "food" for an amount of time. Many of the popular cleanses or detox programs are for about three days and then allocate eating whole foods again. Folks do lose weight doing this for three days, but it is water weight only which will return when real food is eaten. Although, some say a three day cleanse or detox program is a good way to begin a diet program. Other research talks about how such severe limitation of food and calories slows the metabolism which is something we definitely do no want! I will confess to doing a detox liquid program for a day or two at the most. I tend to want to exercise while doing this, but since it is not reccomended I find that I don't feel at my healthiest and begin feeling light-headed, queasy and pretty grouchy attempting to limit to liquid calories for more than a couple of days. Therefore, I cannot imagine why Gwenyth would even think about keeping to such a stringent and limited amount of calories for 10 days. Of course she was hallucinating!! I'm sure I would imagine all sorts of things going on in my head that long without real food!! That just sounds rather silly and not at all healthy to me.
Then, to her comment about smoking. I am sorry but this one just really disappointed me. Don't get me wrong. I am all for everything in moderation. In fact, I have had a couple of glasses of wine tonight and love a cookie now and then. I will even have a french fry and other unhealthy fare, knowing they are treats and in moderation. However, I have seen firsthand the havoc that smoking does to one's body and health. For some, it is an addiction that just can't be beat. It completely destroys the lungs, leaving one wheezing, coughing and ultimately suffering from emphasyma or COPD. It also places extra stresses on the body that emphasizes other ailments and diseases the body suffers. It is a nasty addiction that also leaves one with physical representations such as wrinkles, aged skin, and aged teeth and nails.
I am admittedly prejudiced against smoking and have been since I was a little girl. My parents both smoked while I was growing up and I thought it was just the grossest thing. Still do. I know it's not right to judge, but I can't help it. My father kicked his habit, buy my mother never could do that. Her health suffers for it.
So, my issue with Gwenyth is the example she has chosen to represent. She has spoken of her healthy diet and workouts and regular work with her trainer. She has thousands of folks, and especially young women, following her every move in the magazines, movies and on her blog. These are people who follow her every move, read every word, eat what she says she eats, cook dishes in her cookbooks, want to be and look like her. I get her wanting to be "real" and honest in her interview. However, promoting smoking cigarettes, even if only on a weekly basis? I think this might have been a fact that would have been better kept secret. Or, better yet, a habit to kick.
So, what do you think? Is it a double standard to drink some wine but rag on Gwenyth for having a cig on Saturday night? Are you a lover of Gwenyth? What are your thoughts on the detox thing? Have you tried one?